*Time is on my side...oh yes it is?*

*(Rolling Stones' song)

Tonight, I have mastered the unthinkable...at least to some extend. I managed to get baby asleep and by asleep I mean, I nursed him and then I laid him in his bassinet to sleep by himself! Woo-hoo!! He has been there since 9ish, it's around 12:30 now. Of course, he has woken up twice and I had to coax him back to sleep both times. No problem.

So as he slept, I was able to C-L-E-A-N.

However, I have come to realize that I have a severe form of ADHD in my older age. I was zooming around the house trying to clean and organize as fast as I could, when I would wash pots and then begin the laundry and return to the kitchen and put away dishes or empty the trash. I was going a mile a minute....in my wake, I cooked dinner, washed a load of clothes, folded clothes, washed dishes, unloaded the dishwasher, organized hand me downs for Garrett into piles based on size, then ate and preceded to cook meatballs, (that dear hubby had prepared early today before he left for work.) As they cooked, I ran upstairs to write this blog, post some new baby photos on myspace and complete his baby announcement!

Wheee...now, I felt very accomplished I must say and to be able to create a new blog post and slowly make progress on Garrett's baby announcement to boot, that would really be PRODUCTIVE!! (which btw, I hope sending these out isn't too late....I mean he will be 2 months next week)

So here I am, busy creating them, deep in concentration and full of creative juices, when I realize....

OH S@#%!!!! I forgot about the meatballs!!! Nooooooooo!!! I was doing so good with my time!!!
I rush downstairs and well, let's just say they tasted like rubber. I had them simmering for about two + hours. Lovely. I feel horrible since Bryan went to the trouble of preparing them at MY request. I'm definitely an idiot at times. ; )

Anyway, hubby is home and baby is about to wake....so here's hoping for TIME tomorrow to talk about Garrett and how very big he is getting!

All Smiles

Everybody loves a baby's smile. Especially their own. And that's what Bryan and I woke up to this morning. A smiling baby. I can't believe how much he has grown. The time with him is flying by and everyday I find myself in awe of this little person. He is the best thing to ever happen to me. I try to imagine what life will be like in the future. What type of person he will be and how we as a family will interact. It's all so surreal and then I try to step back and freeze time, because I hear these are very precious days, as 'chaotic and sleep deprived' as they are. I hold him a little longer and gaze into his eyes as much as possible, soaking up the little man he is. He is so amazing, so perfect...the best of both Bryan and me. A blessing I try to remember to be thankful for everyday.

Top Ten Things a FTM needs to know about being a MOMMY

For those of you new to the world of baby-land, FTM stands for FIRST TIME MOM, as in I haven't a clue what I am doing, but please don't offer me advice, because my hormones are raging so badly at the moment that I might literally bite your head off if you do.

So here's my TOP TEN:

10. You will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, have any time to yourself whatsoever. Forget about your favorite pastimes, TV shows, books, and relaxing tub baths. These may be attempted but they will inevitably be forgotten or end as quickly as they began. Likewise, simple tasks like checking email or paying bills will take days to complete. (This is true for at least the first 6 weeks)
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9. You will become a 'poop expert'. Enough said.

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8. Some babies cry/fuss a whole lot and not because of colic, wet diapers or for being hungry....simply because they want to be held and they want to suck on mommy's nipple, not a pacifier. His/her cries will literally BREAK your heart.

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7. Random people will make you worry sick over your baby and whether or not he/she is "eating" enough or make you think that you are not the 'mommy type' with comments and occasional looks. Example: Your baby is over one month old and a stranger comments how 'tiny' your baby is or asks if he/she is a newborn? 6 WEEKS OLD is not a NEWBORN, at least not to you and 7 lbs. is NOT little!

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6. Family, friends, neighbors will state "If you put the baby down, he'll be alright....it never hurt a baby to cry" or "You're going to spoil him if you keep holding him all the time" You blow up on them all and then hours later worry whether or not they are correct and you are spoiling your baby and making it impossible for anyone else to eventually watch him.

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5. You will see your parents in a completely new light, a much softer and more forgiving light, finally you understand everything about them a little bit better now.

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4. When the baby is asleep (after taking 2 hours to put him down) you feel anxious because he isn't making any noises and so, you repeatedly check that he's still breathing every ten minutes, preventing you from enjoying or accomplishing anything while baby sleeps.

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3. The only way to put the baby to sleep is by motion (i.e. car rides, rocking or swinging), by sleeping with baby, feeding baby or by playing 'white noise' (i.e. hair dryer). For most effectiveness, these measures should be used in conjunction of one another.

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2. When away from the baby (upon returning to work, or say going to the store without the baby) you will feel a sense of deep pleasure along with an intense guilt for leaving baby with daddy. Upon arrival, you feel great happiness that the baby is crying and wants and needs only you.

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Drum roll please.... The NUMBER 1 thing a FTM needs to know about being a MOMMY is:

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1. The worst part of pregnancy isn't necessarily labor or delivery but in fact RECOVERY. Postpartum recovery is like a ticking time bomb and you are holding it in the utmost painful and uncomfortable position, trying to keep it from exploding. Modesty falls out the window. Absolutely no one warns you about this part. Yet hormones, sleepless nights, sitz baths, ice packs and all...baby melts your heart and makes it worth every single second.

Strategic Planning

Ah, sweet relief is all I feel as I begin my first attempt at blogging about the joys and pains of mommy hood. I have been contemplating the idea of starting a blog for awhile now, actually even before my little man was born. So finally, without further ado...my journey into Mommy's Little Blog begins.

Mommy-hood has its special challenges, as I try to set up my laptop strategically at my recliner while baby swings in my left arm, patiently waiting for me to plop down, expose my breast and resume his feeding. As, I set the laptop up, I realize essentials are nowhere to be found and off with baby in tow, I grab my bottle of water, a bag of chips, the phone, the TV remotes and Boppy before little man starts to squeal that he's hungry. Social Services might be appalled if they saw me, hmmm maybe I shouldn't be posting this stuff?

Finally, I settle into the recliner. Place Boppy into wrap around position (all the while holding little man) I lift my shirt, undo my nursing bra and take one last look around to make sure everything is in arm's reach. To my left is TV remotes, phone and chips. On my right is my laptop and bottle of water. With my right hand, I quickly turn the laptop on and start its connection. Once this is started, I latch little man onto the breast and get cozy...careful to peer into his eyes as he nurses. (Sometimes, I feel guilty, nursing and surfing the net at the same time...so I make every effort possible to let him know I am not ignoring him) He is so forgiving.

Okay, so where was I? Connecting to the Internet. At least that's what the icon says is taking place. I wait and nothing. Another five minutes go by and I reconnect, this continues for over twenty minutes, sometimes I get lucky, other times I get frustrated and restart the computer- continuously until I do get lucky....either way by the time I do get online, its time to change the little man's diaper or burp him or play with him or give him a nap. Needless to say, its never time for me to blog.
But tonight I have persevered!

I was able to get my sweetie to fall back asleep after nursing and shamelessly, I'm secretly hoping for a repeat session tomorrow night minus all the strategic planning (but that's wishful thinking).

Mommy-hood is Everything I hoped for and
Nothing I expected.